Matched flooring or board.



R. HOUSTON.

MATCHED FLOORING 0R BOARD.

9 5' l d b 2 f 29- t Q9 A TTOHNEY ROS S HOUSTON, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

MATCHED FLOORING OB BOARD.

Specification of Letters ratent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

Application filed February 28', 1913. Serial N'o. 751,359.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ross HOUSTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Portland, county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Matched Flooring or Boards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to whatis commerciall termed matched flooring or board. The main beneficial results I attain by my invention are twofold: economy in material and better results in the flooring1 surface laid. The first result is obtained y utilizing the narrow strips of lumber left over when the boards of standard size have been out. In other words, standard flooring is laid of boards of standard width, hence only such material can be used as will cut into the required width. 1, however, utilize the narrow left-over strips for making a board or flooring of standard dimensions. This work is preferably done at the mill, and the composite boards of standard dimensions so produced are laid as flooring units or boards in the usual manner.

Another important object I have in view is the elimination of inherent weakness in the tongue and groove joint as heretofore made, due to the fact that the lips of the groove, and likewise the tongue, are not' properly arranged so as to support each 'other, and prevent breaking down and checking. In this connection my improved tongue and groove joint is a very important feature which could be used advantageously .for joining ordinary floor boards so as to. eliminate the weakness mentioned. But my said improved joint is es pecially necessary in the construction of boards or flooring. for by reason of the multiplicity of individual pieces composing such boards, said inherent weakness would otherwise be greatly increased.

Another advantage obtained by my invention is that the work of laying the floor is facilitated. for. the nailing strips are very accessible. The assemblage of the boards is also facilitated. The flooring surface produced by my improvements are equal to the very best flooring of any type; and in many respects even superior, for it possesses the stability and unity at the joints required to produce a floor surface of uniform finish.

-My improved flooring is also very lasting.

The details of construction and advantages obtained are more readily ascertainable by now having reference in the first place to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a sectional perspective showing two adjacent boards or flooring made in accordance with my invention and nailed to a oist; in this figure are illustrated the means of interlocking the individual strips into one unit, and also the locking or connection between the two adjacent boards; the nailing of the composite board to the oist is also detailed; Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of another form of matched flooring, in which the interlocking tongue and oove connecting the members of the bear or flooring are made slightly different than those shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detailed section of two a jacent members of a board or flooring, united by that type of tongue and groove joint whlch I consider preferable for such purpose; and Fig. 4 is a vertical section of two ad acent members of two boards or flooring, illustrating the tongue and groove joint or look between two floor-units or boards.

The boards or flooring, a, a, are made up of a plurality of strips, as b. c, (1. Their end jo nts maybe staggered as usual. The

joined faces 6,7, of the adjoning strips. b,

c, d, are inclined at acute and obtuse angles, with respect to horizontal, respectively, wherebv when laid as a floo one face of each board will underlie and const tute a suppo t, for the opposite face of the adjoining'hoard. The angles of said faces are preferably made slightly g eater than supplementary, so that the faces are spaced apart at'the base, as at t, and the eflicicnt support of the upper portion of the overlying face is provided for. This feature prevents the checking and breaking down of the upper lip. g, of the groove h of the strip 0, for example, for said lip is supported by the solid portion 3' of the underlying face, 6. of the strip 6, and in consequence there will be no direct strain upon the tongue h; the whole strain being taken up by the bevel-faced portions, 9', g, of the joined strips. For interlocking the joined faces of the strips b, 0, (1, against lateral movement, I prefer to provide interlocking tongues and ooves of the dove-tail type, as shown for instance at k and z. The tongue, 2', projects substantially perpendicular tothe face a,

and the groove k is accordingly formed. The parts are further adapted to facilitate assemblage and provide for the accommodation of the overlyingpart in such assemblage, as shown in Fig. 3, by allowing for some-mov ment f e tong in gr y p The same principle of construction applies equally to the .plain orordinary tongue and; roove joints, Z, m, of the joined extenor faces, a. p, of the adjoining boards orflooring Ordinary tongue and groove ]01I 1t8 may be employed throu bout the floor structure, as illustrated in. Fig; 2, and the floor built up, on the joist instead, from the strips, as-at g, instead of making the strips first into. floor boards of ordinar'ywidth; at the mills, as described.

With regard: to theinterlocking tongue and. groove joint, it is to be noted that the point g will hear at the point e" of the angle of the tonguei, providing an efiective look, but eliminating any direct strain u n the tongue,.tending.-. to; break it. down. i1 fact. the peculiar advantage. obtained by the; described principle of construction of my tongue and groove. joint is. that they:- serve solely as a bond or interlocking means between the joined boards, preventin any-latoral movement of the latter away rom each other. The described principle of construc.- tion. may also be applied with great benefit in the joining together and interlocking of ordinary floor boards in a flooring.

The flooring is nailed to the joints, o, by the nails, n, driven at intervals in the beveled portions, 7', of the face," e, as shown. The acute beveled faces, e, allow easy access for the nailing process, and the naillng line is sufficiently removed from the ton ue to eliminate dan r of splitting the atter, which is one o the serious objections to the present system. Inasmuch as the pressure is absorbed by the body of the fioorin pieces, the tongue and groove can reduce materiallyin size, thus allowing a more economic structure.

I claim: I

1. A board (or floor) consisting of a lurality ofstrips made with abutting inc 6 plane faces, the latter inclined at acute and obtuse angles to the horizontal respectively, and so as to space said faces apart at the base, the, upper part of the overlying face 56 resting on the underlying face; and means for interlockin said abutting faces.

'2. 'A composite board com rising a plurality of strips the abutting aces of which are inclined at acute and obtuse angles to face resting on the underlying face.

3; A composite board comprising a pluralityz of strips the abutting facesof which are inclined at. acute and obtuse angles to the horizontal rspectively; the acutely inclined face, of said interlocking strips be.- ing provided with a perpendicular dove-tail and the obtusely inclined face with a corresponding groove; the acutely inclined exterior face of the composite board bein provided with a perpendicular tongue, an its obtu-sely inclinedexterior face with a. correspondlng groove; and the angles of said supporting and supported faces being slightly greater than supplementary, and

said abutting faces being spaced apart at the base and the upper part of the overlying face resting on the underlying face.

ROSS HOUSTQN.

Witnesses:

CECIL Lone,

G. Scam 

